In this book, Stanley Pargellis explores the historic pursuit of political unification throughout the world. He analyzes the various approaches to political unity, from imperial expansion to regional associations, and argues that unity is often pursued for the sake of political and economic gains, rather than for ideological reasons. This book is an insightful read for history buffs and political science students alike. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.